ADA Compliance

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a civil rights law prohibiting discrimination against individuals with disabilities. Title III applies to public accommodations, including websites and mobile apps of businesses open to the public.

While the ADA doesn't explicitly mention websites, courts have consistently ruled that websites are places of public accommodation and must be accessible.

• ✓ Private businesses (restaurants, hotels, stores, etc.)
• ✓ Educational institutions
• ✓ Healthcare providers
• ✓ Financial services
• ✓ E-commerce and online services
• ✓ Any business serving the public

1. Adopt WCAG 2.1 Level AA as your standard (DOJ recommended)
2. Conduct accessibility audit to identify barriers
3. Create remediation plan with timeline and priorities
4. Implement fixes starting with critical issues
5. Ongoing monitoring and testing with each release
6. Provide alternative access (phone number, email) while fixing issues
7. Accessibility statement showing commitment and progress
8. Staff training on accessibility best practices

While the DOJ has not finalized specific technical standards for websites, courts generally expect:

• WCAG 2.1 Level AA conformance
• Compatibility with assistive technologies
• Regular testing and monitoring
• Documented accessibility policy
• Timely response to accessibility complaints

• 1. Missing alt text on images and graphics
• 2. Forms without proper labels
• 3. Insufficient color contrast
• 4. Non-keyboard accessible menus and modals
• 5. Inaccessible PDF documents
• 6. Videos without captions
• 7. Missing skip navigation links
• 8. Improper heading structure